Tiffin

 

• 150g chocolates - maltesers, chopped creme eggs, chopped mars bars/snickers etc
• 100g Raisins
• 200g Digestive Biscuits
• 125g Butter or Margarine – Plus extra to grease tin
• 3 tbsp Cocoa
• 4 tbsp Golden Syrup
• 100g Milk Chocolate – Broken into squares

To Top:

• 150g Milk Chocolate – Broken into squares
• 150g Dark Chocolate – Broken into squares

Adapted from https://donnadundas.co.uk/daim-bar-tiffin/#mv-creation-55 - see video on this link. the mixture will look very wet and greasy.

Best Brownies?

Have just started baking, once a month, for the church cafe. Here is the brownies recipe I am presently using:

10 oz soft butter
11oz sugar (should be 13oz, I reduced it)
4 eggs, large if possible
1 teaspoon baking powder, plus a large pinch.
3oz cocoa powder
5oz plain flour
4oz chopped chocolate
A couple of tablespoons milk or cream if needed, to loosen slightly. Mixture will be fairly stiff.

Cream butter and sugar first, if butter is not very soft. Add other ingredients, mix well, Spoon into a 12 x 9 inch flat traybake tin, lined with well-greased tinfoil.

Bake (at least 25 - 30 minutes, original recipe states 35 - 40) at 160 degrees fan oven (Gas Mark 4) until slightly firm in the middle and shrinking slightly away from the edges.

Cool in tin, remove foil and cut when cold.

Then there are Adele's brownies, too: the hot butter gives a crackly top.

1. Combine 114 g (4oz) 1/2 cup hot butter with 1 tbsp oi amd 225g (8 oz) 1 1/8 cup sugar
2. Whisk 2 eggs with 2 tsp vanilla
3. Fold in 60 g (2oz) 1/2 cup flour and 60 g (2oz) 1/2 cup cornflour
4/ Bake 20 - 25 minutes.

Gluten free brownies....

Melt together:
225g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), finely chopped
125g butter, diced

Stir in:
175g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g ground almonds
Yolks of 6 large eggs

Fold in:

6 whipped egg whites

Bake at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 in a 22 x 30 cm diameter baking tin with baking parchment until firm with a slight wobble.

Glaze:

Melt:

100g of good quality dark chocolate
30g of butter

Remove from heat, whisk in
50g of icing sugar, sifted
75ml of double cream

Allow to cool until the mixture becomes thick enough to leave a figure of eight on the surface.Pour over the brownies and allow to set slightly before removing from the tin and slicing to serve.

Adapted from http://www.donalskehan.com/recipes/gluten-free-chocolate-brownies/

Christmas treats

TOFFEE ALMOND BUTTER CUPs


INGREDIENTS
Chocolate:
1 cup cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup coconut oil
¼ cup maple syrup
Pinch of salt

Toffee Almond Butter:
3 tbsp  butter
3 tbsp coconut sugar
2 tbsp almond butter/peanut butter
1 tbsp maple syrup/golden syrup ?
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp arrowroot starch   or cornflour?

INSTRUCTIONS
In a microwave safe dish, heat cacao, oil and syrup together in microwave for 1 minute, stirring every 20 seconds.
Fill a muffin tin with 6 cupcake liners, spraying each one with a bit of nonstick spray.
Distribute HALF of the chocolate between liners and then place muffin tin in freezer for approximately 10 minutes, or until chocolate has hardened.
While waiting for chocolate to harden, make the toffee. In a microwave safe dish, melt butter in microwave and then stir in almond butter, sugar, syrup, and vanilla.
Last, stir in arrowroot to thicken mixture up a bit.
Once chocolate has hardened, remove from freezer and distribute toffee almond butter evenly, trying to keep it in the center of each cup if possible*.
Last, pour remaining chocolate overtop of toffee almond butter, banging muffin tin on counter top to flatten out the chocolate.
Place tin back in freezer for an additional 5 minutes or so.
Sprinkle each cup with a bit of sea salt and enjoy!

NOTES
*If you are unable to keep the toffee almond butter in the center, don't worry about it. You may be able to see some of it from the outside, but it'll still taste the same.

Cranberry bliss bars

INGREDIENTS
Bars:
1⅓ Cup Cashew Meal*
3 Tablespoons Coconut Flour
¼ Cup Arrowroot
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
¼ Teaspoon Salt
1 Egg
2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil, Melted
2 Tablespoons Applesauce
¼ Cup Honey
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
½ Cup White Chocolate Chips
⅓ Cup Dried Cranberries
Topping:
8 oz Light Cream Cheese, Softened
½ Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
⅓ Cup Dried Cranberries
¼ Cup White Chocolate Chips

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Prepare an 8x8 pan with parchment paper (it will be far easier than non-stick spray - trust me).
3. In a large bowl, combine cashew meal, arrowroot, coconut flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk until combined.
4. In a separate bowl whisk egg then add applesauce, honey vanilla and coconut oil. Combine until all mixed and add to the dry ingredients. Stir until a thick batter forms.
5. Fold in ½ cup of white chocolate chips and ⅓ cup dried cranberries.
6. Transfer mixture to pan, and smooth into a flat even layer.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. While the bars are baking, begin making the frosting. Using an electric mixer, beat powdered sugar and cream cheese until fluffy. Pour in vanilla, and continue mixing until combined.
9. When the bars are done baking, allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
10. Once completely cooled, frost with frosting and top with remaining cranberries.
11. In a small bowl, melt remaining white chocolate chips. Be really careful not to burn them, only heat in 15-20 second intervals until melted.
12. Drizzle white chocolate over bars.
13. To cut, begin by making 9 squares cutting three rows horizontally and vertically. Then cut each square in half diagonally.
14. Store in the fridge for up to three days.

More recipes here.  and here.  And cookie recipes here!

Chocolate Fudge Sauce

HEALTHY 3-INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE FUDGE SAUCE (NO ADDED SUGAR, GRAIN FREE, VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE)

INGREDIENTS
⅓ cup (50 g) pitted dates (i.e. measured once pitted)
½ cup (125 ml) almond or cashew milk (you can use regular milk instead - obvs isn't vegan then)
1 oz (15 g) unsweetened baking chocolate (or 1½ tbsp cocoa powder)

INSTRUCTIONS
Put dates and almond milk into a blender, blend together until smooth.
Pour into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer, continue to cook whilst stirring over a low flame for 5-10 minutes, until thickened.
Remove from the heat, stir in the chocolate (or cocoa powder) until melted and incorporated.
Transfer to a sterilized glass jar. Serve warm, refrigerate and eat cold, or re-warm.

Mix into whipped cream for quick chocolate mousse dessert: layer in batter in cakes.

Chocolate cake

Chocolate cake recipes:

This one is with mayonnaise

Cake:

• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 3/4 cups boiling water
• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1 1/3 cups mayonnaise (do not use reduced-fat or fat-free)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

• 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped
• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• Special equipment: Three 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides

PREPARATION

For cake: 
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Combine chopped chocolate and cocoa powder in medium metal bowl. Add 1 3/4 cups boiling water and whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder into another medium bowl.Using electric mixer, beat both sugars and mayonnaise in large bowl until well blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with chocolate mixture in 3 additions, beating until blended after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Divide batter among prepared cake pans (about 2 1/3 cups for each).

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 30 to 32 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 20 minutes. Run small knife around sides of cakes to loosen. Carefully invert cakes onto racks and let cool completely.

For frosting: 
Place chopped chocolate in medium metal bowl; set bowl over saucepan of simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Carefully remove bowl from over water; let melted chocolate cool until lukewarm, stirring occasionally.

Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth and creamy. Sift powdered sugar over butter and beat until well blended, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add melted chocolate and beat until well blended and smooth, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl.

Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over top of cake layer to edges. Top with second cake layer; spread 3/4 cup frosting over. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting decoratively over top and sides of cake. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and let stand at room temperature

And this:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
• 1 cup strong black coffee OR 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan.Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl.
2. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (batter will be thin).Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
4. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
5. Frost as desired.

Notes:

• To sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup.

Chocolate Buttermilk Layer Cake

Once you pour the hot coffee into the batter, don’t be alarmed by its thinness.
“It’s definitely the thinnest cake batter I’ve ever worked with,” [Portland Baker
Melissa] McKinney says. As for the frosting, there’s no need to use fancy chocolate,
she says. “I just use semi-sweet chocolate chips and it comes out perfect.”

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 tbsp + 1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)*
1 1/3 cups canola oil
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups freshly brewed, extra-strong hot coffee*
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
24 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with nonstick spray, and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

2. Place flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, mix on low to combine. Keeping the mixer on low , add oil, buttermilk, then eggs one at a time. Add hot coffee in a thin stream, pouring down the side of the bowl. Add vanilla and mix until batter is smooth. Divide into pans and back until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs, about 30-35 minutes. Let cool in pans for at least 20 minutes.

3. To make the chocolate ganache frosting, create a double boiler by filling a saucepan with 2 inches of water and bringing it to a boil. Place chocolate chips and cream in a stainless steel mixing bowl (I used glass) and set on top of simmering water, Allow mixture to melt–do not stir right away, When chocolate has melted, stir it with a whisk. Allow to cool at room temperature.

4. Remove cakes from pans. Place one layer of cake on a serving plate. Trim the top with a serrated knife to make it even (although I didn’t find this necessary). Place a scoop of ganache in the middle and smooth it out to the edges using a palette knife or spatula. Trim the top off the other layer and place the untrimmed side down on the top of the frosted layer, pressing gently. Spoon more ganache on the top and smooth it around the sides, adding more ganache as needed to cover. If you need to apply a second coat of ganache, put the cake in the refridgerator for no more than 15 minutes to set before adding a second coat (although I found myself with a surplus of frosting). Makes a single 9-inch layer cake.

 

Chocolate chip cookies

Here are tips for making good chocolate chip cookies:

Use brown sugar as well as white.
Use full fat cream cheese - recipe below
Refrigerate the dough for up to 3 days before baking
Undercook by a couple of minutes - they will carry on baking afterwards.

Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: About 3 dozen cookies

 

Prep Time: 2 hours (includes chilling)

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
1/4 cup cream cheese, at room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, cream cheese, sugar, light brown sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture, beating to combine, then stir in the chocolate chips.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 2 hours and up to 3 days.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.

Drop 2- to 3-tablespoon mounds of dough onto the baking sheets, spacing the mounds at least 2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 2 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Kelly's Notes:
Measure 1/4 cup cream cheese by spooning/scraping it into a dry measuring cup and leveling it off.

Gluten free chocolate bean cake

420 g canned kidney beans drained

1 tbs coffee (liquid)

1 tbs vanilla extract

70 g cocoa powder unsweetened

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/4 tsp salt

125 g butter

5 egg

180 g sugar

Method

• STEP 1 In a food processor, puree the beans, water/coffee, 1 egg and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
• STEP 2 Combine butter and sugar in a food processor or using an electric beater, until pale and fluffy.
• STEP 3 Add the remaining eggs one at a time, processing or beating well after each addition.
• STEP 4 Add bean mixture and process or beat until combined.
• STEP 5 Add sifted cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix well.
• STEP 6 Pour batter into a 22 cm greased round or ring pan and bake for approximately 35 minutes at 180C. The cake will spring back when touched and skewer will come out clean when cooked.

Note: this took much longer than 35 minutes - probably 50 altogether. The cake rises quite high in the oven but then collapses. Very chocolatey!

Potentially gluten-free chocolate torte

225 g 70% dark chocolate


175 g unsalted butter , chopped, diced

1 tsp orange zest

100 g toasted almonds

3 T plain flour or gluten free flour

1/2 tsp salt

5 eggs

140 g sugar

Heat oven to 325 F/160 C. Oil and line a 8 inch cake pan and set aside.

Melt the chocolate and butter. Stir in the orange zest and let it steep. Meanwhile, grind the almonds as fine as you can without letting it become a paste. Add flour and salt, and transfer to a bowl.

Whisk the eggs until doubled pale and frothy. Slowly add the sugar, whisk for 1 min more. Fold in the cooled chocolate mixture until just combined. Sprinkle over half the flour mixture and fold in, then the other half. The mixture will be rather runny.

Pour into the prepare pan and bake for about 20 mins until a skewer comes out with a few crumbs attached. Cool for a few minutes in tin, then turn out onto a wire rack. Wait until completely cooled before you frost with anything.

Chocolate truffle torte

...from Delia Smith

3 oz (75 g) Amaretti biscuits, crushed finely with a rolling pin - make a base.

1 lb (450 g) dark chocolate (75 per cent cocoa solids) – the best quality possible - melt in a double boiler, with 5 tablespoons liquid glucose - or 5 tablespoons of 5 tbspns hot water with 5 tbspns dissolved sugar in it and 5 tablespoons rum or other spirit. Leave 5 minutes to cool.

1 pint (570 ml) double cream, at room temperature - lightly whipped.
To serve:
Turn out onto a plate if wished: cocoa powder for dusting, chilled single pouring cream

Coffee semifreddo recipe - Recipes - BBC Good Food

Coffee semifreddo recipe - Recipes - BBC Good Food

Beat until pale and thick:
4 egg yolks.
100g golden caster sugar
Mix in: 1 tbsp instant coffee
1 tbsp Tia Maria or brandy
OR 4 tablespoons cocoa (for chocolate ice cream)

Beat 300ml double cream until thick. Fold in to egg yolk mixture
Fold in 4 stiffly beaten egg whites
In a clingfilm lined loaf tin, scatter chocolate curls scattered on the bottom
Put mixture in tin, cover with clingfilm. Freeze. Turn out and remove clingfilm before serving.
Decorate with added chocolate if wished.

Variation: mix in 100g/4oz pack honeycomb Toblerone , finely chopped or other chocolate bar.
dark chocolate curls, to decorate

Brownies

Hmmm... don't seem to have a Brownie recipe. Strange. This one might do:

Mocha Brownies

3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken into pieces

2 tablespoons instant espresso powder (or instant coffee powder)

1 tablespoon boiling water

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13 pan. In a bowl set over, but not touching, barely simmering water in a pan, combine the butter and chocolate. Stir with a wooden spoon until melted.

In a small bowl, dissolve the coffee powder in the boiling water. Add to the cooled chocolate. Then add the granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir well. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold in the chocolate mixture until just incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out slightly fudgy, 25–30 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool. Cut into squares and dust with confectioner’s sugar. Serve at room temperature. Store in a covered container (if they last that long!).

Try and try again biscuits

There are two reasons for the name of these biscuits. The first is the Rugby connection. The recipe comes from one of the masters' wives at Rugby School, found in a book called - surprise, surprise - The Rugby Cookbook. A small, spiral bound collection of recipes from various folk associated with Rugby School, it was produced to raise funds for The Home Farm Trust with sponsorship from, among others, Billington's Sugar.  It is noticeable how many of the sweeter recipes include sugar of the Billington variety!

The second reason is that these little biscuits are amazingly moreish. Try one, and you'll want to try one again.  So there we are...

Try and Try Again Biscuits

Cream together 4 oz (125g) each Stork (or similar) margarine and sugar. Mix in to a soft dough 4oz (125g) self-raising flour1oz cocoa powder and 2 oz custard powder or cornflour or a mixture of both.

Roll quantities of the mixture into balls the size of a LARGE marble, or roll the same amount into a rugby ball shape.  Put on a baking tin with a little space between each one - they spread slightly - and press down on each one with a fork or the back of a spoon.

Bake at 150 degrees C (Gas Mark 2) for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.